Brush
by PhaedraSolaris
Summary: Orphaned, Fuyuko was given to Orochimaru to be used in his experiments; but without any chakra, the curse mark acted differently. Now with drastically heightened senses, Fuyuko may be useful on some levels, but power affects people in many ways, and the toll the mark took on her is more than most people can handle. SasukexOC
1. Chapter 1

The wind rustled overhead, running through the trees and making the leaves dance. The sky was painted with a watercolour of pinks, oranges and blues as the day grew late, and the cool night temperature hung in the air.

Beads of sweat ran down Sasuke's face and neck, the sparring dummies in front of him battered and torn. He'd been training under Orochimaru for only a few months, yet his abilities had progressed so far in such a short amount of time.

It wasn't enough.

Sasuke had been out there for hours by himself, training. He'd done this every day since he'd arrived at the Hidden Sound hideout with Orochimaru. It was obvious he wasn't going to become stronger in such little time, but Sasuke was impatient.

The boy wiped his bare forehead with the back of his arm, ignoring the uncomfortable damp smear of a trail the action left behind. His arm spasmed tiredly from the dozens of chidori he'd forced himself to practise. There was no denying that he needed rest, but rest seemed like a waste when he could have been spending his time becoming stronger instead.

Sasuke paused, looking up at the sky. He'd have to call it for the day, albeit reluctantly. As he made his way back to the underground hideout, he paused, sensing something - or someone - watching him.

The bushes behind him rustled and Sasuke turned, quickly drawing a kunai and crouching into a defensive position against whoever was about to lunge at him.

"Oof!"

The sound was unexpected, but not as much as the sight before him. A little girl, perhaps a year or so younger than Sasuke, had fallen face-first into the grass in front of him, her cherry red hair pulled back into a neat ponytail and fastened with a light purple and white bow.

Sasuke gripped his weapon tighter, eyeing the girl as she looked up at him with unnaturally pale blue eyes which widened at the sight of him.

The girl grunted again as she tried to push herself up, the fabric of her yukata constricting her legs and only making her struggle seem more pathetic.

Sasuke slipped his kunai back into the pouch on his leg and stepped forward, gripping the girl by her upper arms and hoisting her back onto her feet. She yelped as though she were in pain, and Sasuke quickly let her go, staring as tears ran down her cheeks and she lightly touched where he'd grabbed her, sobbing as she crouched into a ball.

"You found her." The familiar voice made Sasuke jump as he took a few steps to the side, turning to look up at Orochimaru's assistant, who smirked down at him. "You're going to need to be on your guard all the time if you want to be stronger."

The boy scowled and watched as Kabuto crouched in front of the little girl. "Fuyuko," he said gently, though there was a stern tone of strictness in his voice. "You've done your exploring, it's time to go back now."

The little girl looked horrified as she shuffled back quickly, more tears springing to her eyes as she stood and turned to flee. Kabuto simply caught her by the ankle, tripping her and making her fall to the ground yet again with a loud yelp of pain.

"Come on, now, you promised, remember?" Fuyuko shook her head. "Yes you did. You said you'd let me look at you if you could play outside."

The girl paused and looked at Sasuke, letting Kabuto lift her up. "What's wrong with her?" Sasuke asked, watching as Kabuto began heading back to the base.

Kabuto didn't look back at him as they walked. "There's nothing _wrong_ with her, per se," he said slowly as Fuyuko attempted to wriggle out of his grip. "She's merely one of the many people who sought out power in the same way you did."

Sasuke paused, only now noticing the odd shape of a curse mark on the girl's neck. "Then why is she..?"

"Power affects people in different ways, Sasuke," Kabuto said. "Fuyuko here never had any chakra to begin with. So, rather than only activating when she uses ninjutsu, the seal's power is permanently attached to her brain." He glanced back at Sasuke, a small smile sliding onto his face. "Needless to say, it's taken its toll."

Fuyuko looked over Kabuto's shoulder, staring directly into Sasuke's eyes. "Sa...ki..?" she murmured, making him frown.

"Yes, that's right," Kabuto said encouragingly. "That's Sasuke."

"Saki!" Fuyuko said again, grinning at the boy's unimpressed expression as she tried to scramble towards him. Kabuto's grip tightened around her and she winced, her bottom lip trembling as she settled down again.

"If she can't use chakra," Sasuke said. "Then what exactly does the mark do?"

Kabuto adjusted his grip on the girl and she winced in what Sasuke assumed was pain. "Well she can't exactly tell us," he smiled. "But from what we've gathered so far, her senses have evolved to animal-like sharpness, and we're pretty sure she can see an extra spectrum of colour."

Sasuke watched as Fuyuko stared down at him over Kabuto's shoulder, growing even more uncomfortable under her piercing gaze.

He couldn't see what she could.

To Fuyuko, Sasuke's black eyes held a world of colour - colours that no one had told her the names of and colours even she could hardly understand. Everyone's eyes were different, but she thought the swirling colours in Sasuke's were undoubtedly the prettiest. 'Hot' and 'cold' colours swirled together to create an odd mixture of what Fuyuko had deemed 'contempt'; and she couldn't stop staring at it.

She reached out to touch him, her finger ever so slightly brushing his cheek; but Sasuke couldn't feel it. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end, and he stopped walking, giving himself distance as he rubbed his cheek.

Kabuto kept walking, leaving Sasuke behind, and Fuyuko reached out even further; the struggle throwing her balance off and she tipped over Kabuto's shoulder, now only being held by the back of her knees. The doctor sighed but didn't bother to adjust her position, and Sasuke watched on, still confused.

She'd had to have been here longer than he had, but why hadn't Sasuke seen the odd girl around before? Kabuto had made it seem like she ran around by herself all the time, but maybe that wasn't the case.

Fuyuko's head suddenly snapped up and she stared past Sasuke and into the forest of dense trees. Sasuke paused and looked behind him, as did Kabuto.

"It's most likely something a long way away," he said, and continued walking. "People on a the road or even a wild animal."

The girl's eyes narrowed as she squirmed in Kabuto's arms again, eventually wriggling free and bolting off into the woods.

The older man sighed and pulled off his glasses, wiping them with the bottom of his shirt and looking over at Sasuke. "Go get her for me, would you?" he asked, smiling sweetly as he slipped his glasses back on.

Sasuke huffed but nodded before taking off into the forest in the same direction that Fuyuko had gone, running as fast as he could through the trees. He stopped suddenly and looked around. She couldn't have gone that far - especially in that constricting yukata. Sasuke turned, noticing the top of Fuyuko's bow peeking out from a bush, and sighed before pushing the greenery out of the way.

The girl was already looking up at him, a small wild rabbit held loosely in her arms. She gripped it a little tighter and held it up "Saki!" she cried, her voice concerned. Sasuke managed to draw his eyes away from her face and looked down at the rabbit, only now noticing the blood dripping from its lower back.

The creature's breath grew rapid as Sasuke squatted down beside her. "It's getting dark," he said, clearly irritated with Fuyuko's behaviour. "We need to go back."

Fuyuko frowned and shook her head, holding the rabbit closer to her chest. It was clear the small animal wouldn't survive on its own for much longer, and Sasuke debated whether or not to put it out of its misery right there; but something was stopping him.

"We can take it back to the hideout with us," Sasuke offered, slowly and gently taking the rabbit out of Fuyuko's hands before helping her to her feet. The girl kept her head down but nodded anyway, holding onto Sasuke's sleeve as they began to walk.

The two were quiet as they made their way back to the base, pausing every few minutes when Fuyuko heard something in the distance, and Sasuke was becoming irritated.

"My name's not Saki," he muttered as they reached the secret entrance, making Fuyuko look up at him. "It's Sasuke. Sa-su-ke."

The girl pursed her lips and looked ahead, not saying anything.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you," Kabuto's voice sounded from behind them as he stepped out from behind the large tree that marked the entrance. "She can't exactly communicate with more than two syllables at a time. You're lucky you got 'Saki'." He smirked as he turned his attention to Fuyuko, reaching forward and taking her by the wrist.

Fuyuko flinched but let Kabuto pick her up again and take her down to the hideout, leaving Sasuke to stand by himself.

He'd almost forgotten about the injured rabbit he was holding until it squealed in pain, making him narrow his eyes. Even though he'd promised Fuyuko she could keep it, there was no way it would survive. Sasuke swallowed heavily and wrapped his hand around its neck, ready to break it.

But something stopped him.

There was something about the creatures face that reminded him of the way Fuyuko had stared at him, and Sasuke couldn't find it in himself to kill it. He set the rabbit on the ground, watching as it sprinted off into the bushes, and curled his hands into fists. Clearly he was still weak. If he couldn't kill a small, injured animal, how could he hope to avenge his family?


	2. Chapter 2

Fuyuko walked carefully down the dim hallway, the tray of scrambled eggs she'd made held firmly in her hands. She could hear the conversation in Orochimaru's room from where she stood, and she was pretty sure that he and Kabuto were talking about her. Fuyuko had been at the hidden sound base for almost three years and under Orochimaru's leadership for even longer, and had been working as Kabuto's assistant and helper, looking after their sick boss.

The echoing sound of footsteps stopped Fuyuko in her tracks. The person was far away, but they were heading in her direction. The girl ducked behind a corner, pressing herself into the darkness as the scent of the person invaded her senses.

"Saki," she whispered to herself, covering her mouth with her hand as the young man walked past the corridor she was hiding in. She wasn't hiding from him in fear, but Fuyuko had often been reprimanded for being a distraction to Sasuke's training.

She couldn't help herself though. After their first meeting three years ago, Fuyuko had basically attached herself to Sasuke, and while he didn't seem to mind, other people did.

Once she was sure Sasuke was far away, Fuyuko resumed her walk to Orochimaru's room, hoping his food was still hot enough for his liking. Kabuto was leaving as she arrived, his expression serious as he looked down at her.

"You're late," he spoke quietly, making Fuyuko bow her head in apology before entering the dark room and setting her tray on the table Kabuto used to make medicine.

She picked up the cup of green tea, its heat almost searing her sensitive hands, and carried it over the where Orochimaru sat in his bed. "Chi?" she asked, holding the cup out for him to take.

The man sighed and took it from her, nodding thankfully at her and taking a sip. Fuyuko quietly returned to her tray to bring him his food, sitting on the bed by Orochimaru's side and scooping some of the eggs into the spoon before holding it out to him.

The girl frowned as she watched him eat. She could hear the wheezing with every breath he took and she readied herself for one of his violent coughing fits. Setting the half-empty plate down on the end of the bed, Fuyuko shuffled a little closer to Orochimaru, before taking the tea cup from him.

"Have you had your checkup today?" he asked, making Fuyuko frown and shake her head. "Let me have a look, then."

Fuyuko sighed and slowly pulled the collar of her yukata down over her shoulder, letting Orochimaru look at the curse mark on her neck and watching him as he hummed in interest. Unlike chakra users, whose curse marks took over their bodies when they activated them, Fuyuko's had been slowly taking over her body with each passing day. The black swirled pattern had progressed from her neck and all the way down her left arm as well as down her back. It wouldn't be long before it would consume her entirely.

She pulled the cloth back over herself when Orochimaru was done, adjusting herself and picking up the cup and plate again, setting them back on the tray.

"You should go see Sasuke," Orochimaru said from his bed, making Fuyuko glance over her shoulder at him. "Surely Kabuto told you. He's giving his body up to me."

Fuyuko's forehead crinkled as she sat by Orochimaru's side again, shaking her head slowly.

"Are you mad at me?" the man asked, sinking back against his pillows. Again, Fuyuko shook her head, making him smile. "You've never seemed as though you've even disliked anyone before."

"Boo," Fuyuko said quickly, relaxing when Orochimaru laughed quietly.

"Kabuto, is it?" He sighed and tilted his head back. "I suppose he can be rough with you sometimes."

Fuyuko nodded and pulled her other sleeve up, showing the man the various needle pokes in her arm. He touched her hand reassuringly.

"It's to see if we can give anyone else powers like yours," he told her. "You're very special, after all." Fuyuko giggled a little at that. The two sat in silence a little while longer before Orochimaru began to cough and splutter, jolting the girl from her relaxed daze as she scrambled to hold him up with one hand what gently rubbing circles on his back with the other.

"Chi?" She said his nickname quietly, checking to see if he was alright and reaching for a cloth to wipe away the blood on his hands and face. The stench of iron was thick in the air, tickling her nose, and Fuyuko struggled to hold her breath.

The sound of the door opening screeched through Fuyuko's ears, making her cringe as she looked behind her.

"You can go now," Kabuto's voice sounded, softly but sternly. Fuyuko swallowed nervously and stood up, picking up her tray and hurrying out of the room. She could hear the two men talking as Kabuto prepared Orochimaru's medicine as she walked away, returning the tray to the kitchen before heading back to her cell-like room.

This had become her daily routine. Fuyuko would do the boring, easy chores that no one else was bothered to do before waiting quietly in her room until she was called on again. She didn't know how long she had been sitting quietly on her bed before a loud crash sounded from Orochimaru's room.

Fuyuko stood up and rushed to the door, shoving weakly at the slab of wood, but giving up once she realised it was locked. The crashing grew louder and louder, then everything went silent. Fuyuko's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity, before the pungent smell of blood filled the air.

She took a few steps back, covering her nose and mouth with her hands as the metallic smell grew stronger - closer. Fuyuko frowned further and she slowly dropped her hands as another smell lingered in the air; a relaxing scent of burning wood. She pressed herself back up against the door, waiting for the sound of footsteps to get close enough for the person outside to be able to hear her.

"Saki?" she asked softly, listening as the footsteps front of the door and moving back. The shriek of a metal sword being drawn assaulted her ears and Fuyuko crouched down, her hands pressing against the sides of her head as Sasuke sliced through the door, the splintered pieces collapsing to the floor in front of her.

"Fuyuko," he murmured, making her look up at him. "Orochimaru's dead. You can stay here or come with me."

The girl stood up almost immediately and stepped clumsily over the rubble, catching herself on Sasuke's arm. As he began to walk down the hallway, Fuyuko followed, turning her head to look at the mess behind her. Though he himself was clean, Sasuke still smelt heavily of blood, so perhaps what he said was true.

Fuyuko smiled quietly to herself as she moved closer to Sasuke, and looked up at him. His eyes slid down to meet her gaze, making her smile even wider as she stared back at the swirls of colour.

Sasuke huffed and kept walking, barely feeling Fuyuko's touch as her hand moved from his sleeve to his upper arm. The hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood up at the light touch before he settled again.

"We'll need to find supplies," he said to himself, then looked down at Fuyuko. "If I need you to, can you find water?"

Fuyuko nodded enthusiastically. She could hear the sound of running rivers from miles away, and to her, fresh drinking-water had a distinct smell to it.

"And food? Do you know where the nearest town is?" Again, Fuyuko nodded, taking a deep breath as they walked and focusing on her senses. It was quiet, but the faint murmur of bustling people sounded from far away. She turned her head and pointed behind them, a little to the right.

Sasuke nodded and stopped when they reached the entrance to the underground hideout, wrapping his arm tightly around the girl's waist - much to her discomfort - before leaping up and out into the forest above and setting her down.

It appeared that Fuyuko could be useful after all. While Sasuke had another sensory-type ninja in mind in order to track down his brother, he could still use Fuyuko for foraging or as a scout that couldn't be detected by those who sensed chakra.

Fuyuko took hold of his arm again as they began to walk towards the town she'd pointed out before. She wasn't sure where they were going, or what they were doing, but she felt that as long as she was with Sasuke, she would be safe.


	3. Chapter 3

Fuyuko stayed close to Sasuke as they entered the inn, keeping her head down like he'd told her to. She understood that he didn't want anyone to notice them, but she was still unsure as to where they were going or why any of this was happening. She didn't say anything when the woman at the reception desk greeted them, leaving the details of their stay to Sasuke.

The woman eyed the two of them with a smile, her eyes glinting in a way that made Fuyuko a little uncomfortable. "Just one room?" she asked and Sasuke nodded. The woman shot Fuyuko a jealous look that made her recoil back against the young man's side, before heaving a sigh and handing them a slip of paper. "Second room on your left," she said.

Fuyuko flinched a little as Sasuke grabbed her by the wrist and led her down the hallway, quickly ducking into their room. He closed the door behind them and looked around. The room was small, but still big enough to comfortably fit two futons. A small table was placed in the centre, with two floor cushions on either side to sit on.

Sasuke opened the storage cupboard, surveying its contents; two sets of sleeping robes, two pillows, one large blanket and one futon. He clicked his tongue in irritation but said nothing. He didn't want to draw attention to himself, and leaving the room to ask for an extra bed would do exactly that. Instead, he pulled the futon out and laid it on the floor, throwing the two pillows and the blanket on top. He looked up at Fuyuko, who was still standing in front of the door, looking around the room in what seemed like awe.

"We'll sleep early tonight," Sasuke said, catching her attention and passing the clothes to her. "We'll be travelling all day tomorrow."

The young woman nodded slowly and looked down at the fabric in her hands. The embroidery glinted in the light of the room, creating a mesmerising swirl of shiny colours, and Fuyuko began to undress without hesitation.

Sasuke quickly turned away, deciding to not bother with changing his clothes. Instead, he took off his sword and placed it by the side of the bed.

"Saki?" Fuyuko asked, making him turn around and grimace at the sight before him. Granted, the robes were probably too big for her, but the way the garment slipped off her bare shoulders was almost provocative - albeit unintentional.

The young Uchiha stepped forward and adjusted it for her, covering the black swirls of the curse mark that invaded her arm. "Go lie down," he said when he was done, before moving to sit in the corner of the room.

Fuyuko did as she was told, resting her head on the pillow and covering herself with the blanket. An hour or so of drifting in and out of sleep passed before she heard Sasuke move, listening as his bare feet padded across the room. The covers were drawn back as he lay down beside her, making her look up curiously.

"It get's cold at night," was all he said, before rolling over to face away from her. Fuyuko grinned and curled up against him, relishing in the warmth radiating from his back. He was kind, she decided as she closed her eyes, before sinking into sleep.

Sasuke turned to glance over his shoulder at her, wondering if she was more of a burden than he'd originally thought. She'd been quiet when they'd travelled, she'd done everything he'd told her to do, and she wasn't slowing him down to a large degree. Besides, she'd been able to direct the two of them to the town they were currently in, so she was handy in that sense.

The young Uchiha closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep. It wasn't a lie when he'd said they'd need the rest. Suigetsu was being kept at one of Orochimaru's experimental labs, and the journey would take a few days on foot - especially if he had to look out for Fuyuko the whole time.

XXXXXXXX

Sasuke ignored the suggestive beaming smile of the woman at the reception desk as they left the next morning. He could feel Fuyuko pressing her body uncomfortably against his side as she eyed the woman, and as much as he wanted to tell her to stop, her light touch wasn't as annoying as he'd first thought.

As they walked further and further away from the small town, Fuyuko began to let go of him, but refused to stop holding on to his white shirt sleeve. Again, Sasuke could barely feel it, so he let it slide.

They kept going, stopping every few hours to rest and eat. For days they continued on like this, with Sasuke not wanting to bother wasting his chakra by running. Eventually they reached the old laboratory, and Fuyuko tensed beside the young man as the smell of chemicals and blood burned her nose.

Their footsteps echoed in the dark corridors, and Fuyuko felt an uneasy sensation in her chest - the kind of feeling she'd get when Kabuto came to perform his experiments on her. She kept close to Sasuke, looking up at him when he stopped.

"Can you sense anyone in here?" He asked.

Fuyuko paused, putting her hand in front of her nose to block the pervasive scent. She could hear the sound of something sloshing in water and pointed with a shaky finger towards the sound.

"Stay here," Sasuke ordered, before leaving her in the dirty abandoned hallway to follow her direction. Fuyuko sighed and slumped against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor. He'd probably be a while, but she could clearly hear his footsteps. That alone was comforting to her.

Fuyuko pressed her sleeve over her mouth in an attempt to mask the chemical smell as she waited, listening as the sound of voices filled the corridor.

"I knew you'd show up. I take it, then, you've killed Orochimaru."

"Yeah," Sasuke's voice sounded. "Here, let's get you out of that thing." The sound of glass breaking and gushing water had Fuyuko pressing herself further against the wall. She closed her eyes, trying not to listen in as they kept talking, but their voices continued to echo down the hallway.

"You may have defeated Orochimaru, but that alone doesn't make you my leader," the new voice spoke. "We were all aiming for it. Sooner or later someone was bound to kill him. You were his favourite. He let you stay by his side while the rest of us slept in cages. You had all the advantage you needed."

Fuyuko smiled to herself. While he may have had a point, this new stranger didn't seem to have any idea just how strong Sasuke was. The young Uchiha seemed to feel the same way as he spoke. "Your point is?"

The stranger spoke again. "Look at us two. Right now, I have the advantage."

Fuyuko lifted her head suddenly at his words. Were they fighting? What were they talking about? Silence filled the corridor and her frown grew heavier as she pushed herself up and began following Sasuke's scent.

"Forget it. Just testing." Fuyuko paused at that, sighing in relief and leaning against the wall again. "That was a pretty bad spot I put you in, and you didn't even blink. So it wasn't luck." The sound of splashing water filled the room again as the man continued. "I've heard how strong you are. It was your platoon, wasn't it - that took down my predecessor, Zabuza Momochi?"

More silence followed, and Fuyuko slowly approached the room Sasuke and the stranger were in.

"Sure, I'll come with you," the stranger said. "But before we go and fetch the others, there's a place I want to swing by."

Fuyuko took that as her cue to enter the room, her eyes locking on Sasuke, who noticed her right away. "I thought I told you to stay outside," he said, making the naked man beside him turn to face her in surprise.

"I thought you said I was the first one," Suigetsu accused sourly, looking Fuyuko up and down before turning to Sasuke.

"In terms of combat, you are," the Uchiha replied, walking past the young man to lead Fuyuko back outside. "Go put some clothes on. We'll be outside." Fuyuko looked back at the strange man, taking in the oddness of his appearance. His white hair and purple eyes weren't what disturbed her, but rather his set of shark-like teeth.

"What are you looking at?" he spat, making her grin cheekily at him before following Sasuke.

Fuyuko tugged at his sleeve, giving him a questioning look. While she couldn't physically ask him who the man was, she knew Sasuke could understand her subtle gestures.

"That's Suigetsu," Sasuke told her, realising that she probably wouldn't be able to manage pronouncing his whole name. "Call him whatever you want." Fuyuko smiled at that and nodded, standing close to him as Suigetsu emerged from the old experimentation lab.

He looked at Fuyuko again, his eyes narrowing. "Hey, isn't that the girl Orochimaru was experimenting on - the one that doesn't have any chakra to begin with?" Suigetsu leaned forward until he was inches from Fuyuko's face. "I heard you can barely speak," he grinned, showing off his pointed teeth and making Fuyuko cringe away from him.

Sasuke said nothing as Fuyuko hid behind him, and Suigetsu looked up at him.

"We're bringing her with us?" he asked as if wondering if Sasuke was mad. His eyes met Sasuke's dark, cold ones and he instantly quietened down, crossing his arms stubbornly and turning away. "Fine, but don't expect me to do anything about it when she starts slowing us down."

XXXXXXX

Suigetsu grunted and adjusted his hold on Fuyuko as the three of them reached the Land of Waves. The strap on her sandal had broken almost half an hour ago, and the young man had been carrying her on his back ever since.

"Don't think I'm gonna be this nice all the time," Suigetsu muttered, glaring at Sasuke's quiet smirk. Fuyuko smiled and rested her chin on his shoulder, also looking across at Sasuke.

They stopped in front of the large bridge that led into the Land of Waves, and Sasuke frowned up at the sign. Fuyuko couldn't read it.

"What's the matter?" Suigetsu asked, adjusting Fuyuko again as he reached for a bottle of water strapped to his leg.

Sasuke grunted and looked away. "It's nothing," he said. "Let's go."

They began to walk again, stopping in the central part of town to look for new shoes, settling for a black pair not unlike the ones Sasuke and Suigetsu were already wearing. Fuyuko bounced a little, testing how comfortable they were, before smiling up at Sasuke. Even if she could feel the material rubbing almost painfully against her feet, they were better than nothing.

"We'll find an inn here and get your sword in the morning," Sasuke said, and Suigetsu nodded as Fuyuko resumed her position by the Uchiha's side, clinging softly to his sleeve.

They entered the first inn they found, spending the whole time inside their room like last time, so as not to draw any attention to themselves. Even though they'd been given the right amount of bedding this time, Fuyuko still insisted on sleeping curled up against Sasuke.

Suigetsu smirked as he watched her. "I was wondering why you'd bring her with you of all people," he said, glancing at Sasuke. "I get it now."

Sasuke was quiet as he pulled the sword from his belt and set it on the floor, keeping his calm, stoic expression. "She's useful," was all he said.

A wide, cat-like grin slid onto Suigetsu's face as he nodded slowly and lay down, rolling over so he faced the other wall. He'd witnessed Fuyuko's inhuman sensory abilities earlier that day when he'd needed to refill his water supplies, and knew that that was what Sasuke meant; but that didn't mean it wouldn't be fun to tease them.


End file.
